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Emergency departments report spike in hospital admissions linked to illicit drug GHB or fantasy
Dr Green said that, without drug testing being made available to the public, it was too challenging to find out what was in a drug after a patient had suffered an overdose. […]
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New drugs mean more risk of overdose. Experts say we need more pill testing now
Chemistry lead of CanTEST, Australia’s only fixed-site drug checking service, Malcolm McLeod told ABC RN’s Life Matters that “around 10 per cent to 15 per cent of samples [are] maybe not as expected”. […]
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No way for Sydneysiders to test the secret threats in drugs that could send them to the hospital
Gino Vumbaca, president of drug safety organisation Harm Reduction Australia, said his website receives “at least two to three emails a day” from people who want to safely test the pills that they or their children have. […]
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How much a pill-testing trial would cost Victoria
A two-year pill-testing trial would cost Victoria about $3.7 million, the Parliamentary Budget Office has found, as left-wing crossbenchers pressure the state government over drug reform after overdoses at this summer’s festivals. […]
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The state government must take this golden opportunity on pill testing
A 2023 report on the first six months of Canberra’s fixed drug-testing site showed that when a substance tested was not what the user expected, they were four times more likely to discard the drug. These tests can serve as a last-ditch attempt to save a life. […]
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‘We have this conversation every summer’: The cost of MDMA overdoses
Victorian taxpayers spend up to $3.9 million a year on MDMA-related overdoses in ambulances, emergency departments, hospital admissions and coronial inquiries, leading advocates to argue there is a financial case for pill testing. […]
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Canberra chemists identify three new recreational drugs after mystery substances turn up at Australia’s only fixed pill-testing site
Three mysterious recreational drugs have surfaced for the first time in Australia with chemists describing them as “unexpected, new psychoactive substances”. […]
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Dozens of drug deaths at music festivals potentially preventable, study finds
More than 60 music festival drug-related deaths over 20 years could have potentially been prevented, with experts saying the new study analysing national coronial records bolsters the case for pill testing. […]
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How does Victoria’s stance on pill testing shape up against the rest of Australia? Here’s what you need to know
Pill testing advocates have long argued the service could reduce the harm of drug taking at festivals by helping users better understand the substances they may be consuming. […]
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NSW’s Pill-Testing Stance A Risk As Festival Season Rages On
How many more of our young people will needlessly lose their lives this summer due to government inaction? […]
